Crane currently has 104 local, full-time employee benefits employees, and hires a total of 245 people locally. The next company on the list employ 96 and 197, respectively. For the purposes of this ranking, “local” was defined as the area including St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, Franklin, Washington and Jefferson counties and the city of St. Louis in Missouri, along with St. Clair, Madison, Jersey, Clinton, Calhoun, Macoupin, Bond and Monroe counties in Illinois.

Of course, size isn’t everything. All the companies on that list have to train and supervise those employees. And all need to work hard to provide great customer service. Still, we think that our size and presence in the area makes it clear: we are dedicated to the region.

Why Rank Employee Benefits Firms?

Let’s start with employee benefits. Your benefits package is your #1 tool for attracting and retaining your best talent. That means that all organizations should want to offer the best benefits they can…within budget, and with the least amount of administrative hassle.

There are certainly many agencies who can provide benefits management. Bigger agencies can take advantage of an economy of scale: they can offer more options, provide better customization and better consulting, and leverage more resources, all while staying competitive in terms of cost. Indeed, this has been an aim of the Crane Agency for decades.

Size, though, can be a double-edged sword. When people think of large corporations, they think of impersonal companies, rigid policies, and unhelpful people housed in silos. That’s why it’s important to look at the size of the local workforce. When your agents are from the same hometown area as you, they tend to care a little more.